LIST OF PANELS

That female academics and scholars face unique challenges in higher education institutions across the globe is well established (Bain and Cummings, 2000). While efforts have been made to minimize the gender gap including the use of equal opportunity clauses and measures, a glass ceiling persists especially as women attempt to advance in higher ranks (Kjeldal et al, 2005). Recent events and ongoing crises also shine a light on the increased burden sharing and implications for women in academia (Gabster et al, 2020).

These challenges are not insurmountable. Of course, barriers remain, but it is also important to focus on the individual, institutional, and system-level strategies that have found to be successful in navigating barriers. In this panel, we are targeting the field of public policy specifically. How are we doing as a discipline? What measures are in place to ensure equal opportunity and representation?

With the creation of networks and associations, such as the International Public Policy Association (IPPA), not only is our discipline growing, but is becoming more professionalized and identifiable. As a result, it is increasingly important that we take stock of where our field is at, and explore the opportunities and challenges that come with striving for equal representation. While studies have explored the gender representation in related fields including public administration, there has been scarce work on public policy (El-Taliawi, and El-Baradei, 2020). Taking into consideration IPPA’s ongoing gender audit, as well as a host of other initiatives, this panel begs the question: Where does the field stand in terms of gender and diversity? 

This panel is sponsored by the Women in Public Policy International Network.

References:

Bain, O., & Cummings, W. (2000). Academe's glass ceiling: Societal, professional-organizational, and institutional barriers to the career advancement of academic women. Comparative education review, 44(4), 493-514.

El-Taliawi, Ola G. and El-Baradei, Laila (2020). "Gender in Public Policy: An Analysis of the State of the Field"

Gabster, B. P., van Daalen, K., Dhatt, R., & Barry, M. (2020). Challenges for the female academic during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet, 395(10242), 1968-1970.

Kjeldal, S. E., Rindfleish, J., & Sheridan, A. (2005). Deal‐making and rule‐breaking: Behind the façade of equity in academia. Gender and Education, 17(4), 431-447.

The Women in Public Policy International Network is organizing a panel discussion to explore a variety of issues including the opportunities and barriers facing women in public policy specifically. We aim to encourage contributions that examine individual, institutional, and system level strategies that are utilized to overcome barriers.

The organizers are interested in both theoretical and empirical works that address broad research questions. Some topics may consider descriptive versus substantive gender representation in the field; institutional mechanisms of support (especially in the context of COVID-19); and the role of networks and informal associations in advancing women's contributions to the field. We specifically seek contributions that bridge the knowledge gap between the global North and South. Comparative works employing a variety of empirical methods or theoretical pieces are also welcome.

Papers exploring a range of related research questions could be included. Examples of some research questions are:

How can we increase gender, diversity, and representation in the field of public policy?

What are some of the approaches used to tackle barriers?

What is the role of networks, informal associations in advancing gender and diversity representation? Can networks improve representation of women in institutional contexts in ways that drive positive change?

Instructions: A 250-word abstract to be sent to the panel chairs. The abstract should ideally outline the paper background and aim, theoretical framework(s) used, methods of data collection (if applicable), and results/findings (if available).  

About the organizer: The Women in Public Policy International Network was founded on March 8th, 2020 by a diverse group of scholars from around the world. Our mission is to advance women's scholarly contribution to the field of public policy. We aim to mentor the next generation of female policy scholars, foster collaboration between female academics in the North and South and promote scholarship on gender issues. Email: wipp.network@gmail.com